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Topic: Khalifa Therapy Sharing (Read 914 times)

I tore my knee about 11 months ago from an awkward landing during a soccer game. When I landed I fell on the ground, my leg was fully bent from instinct. I tried getting up - walking was fine, but I tried to rejoin the game and it gave way. I went for a MRI a few weeks later and got diagnosed with a full tear.

There was no instability except when I'm sprinting. Squatting, stairs are fine. I've been pretty against reconstruction because I've had ankle surgery to remove part of a damaged tendon and the ankle still feels a little tight nowadays.

I went for physiotherapy - the physiotherapist recommended surgery, but I wasn't swayed as I had heard of a few failures from people around me. I do leg exercises when I remember to, and do legs at the gym roughly once a week.

Went for acupuncture, chinese tui na. These provided temporary relief. I went back to playing soccer about 7 months. I was always very mindful - but my knee still hyper extended once or twice when I was too tired. I couldn't sprint as well, the knee just felt weak. My calf also aches everytime I do anything more than a walk.

I decided to bite the bullet and go for Khalifa Therapy in Salzberg. I had stumbled on it online, and it seemed like there was a bit of research on it. I'm from Singapore and it's pretty far. It was hard to get an appointment, the phone line is permanently engaged. I managed to call once about 4 months into my injury, but I didn't set an appointment as I wasn't free then. He told me to call 2-3 weeks before I flew there, but after that one time getting through I have not been able to.

I actually was doubtful of his existence, but I knew if I didn't try I would regret it. So I flew there, and he was pretty dismissive. Told me to call him during the times allotted. I told him his line was permanently engaged, he pretty much was like sorry too bad. I persisted, and told about the time I called about 6 months ago, and he rememebered and told me to try calling later that day from 2-3pm, he would TRY to slot me in for tomorrow. He warned me it was 1000 euros and painful. However, when I did call his assistant told me he was fully booked for the next 8 weeks, and the earliest appointment I could get was 1 month from then. By then which I already be back in Singapore.

I decided there was too much sunk cost, I flew there again and got my treatment, and it's been 2 weeks since.

It's similar to Chinese massage, he uses his fingers and strokes along the knee cap. At first I was thinking this isn't too bad (painful), but boy he upped the ante and it took most of my will to stop myself from yelling. He is strong - I thought he was using his elbows at times but I looked up and realised it was just his fingers. I've had quite a few massages before and I have to say it's not like any massage I've had before. I suspect it's some sort of qigong. It might be my mind playing tricks, but when he strokes the side of the knee cap so hard it feels like something inside my knee is moving; no kidding. He pressed the back of the knee, middle of the thigh and the ankle. Finally he gets you to kick as hard as you can while restraining your knee. The whole sessions lasts about an hour.

Then he gets you to test it - by jumping and hopping on one knee. I could do it before the treatment already, so I wasn't too impressed. My calf still acted up when I did the hopping on one knee, but like he said he doesn't work magic. But I did notice that I couldn't hyperextend my knee anymore, which is a good thing. He said it would take about 2 months for the ligament to grow back. In the meantime I had to use topfen (similar to cottage cheese) as a poultice for my knee when I slept, and apply some ointment cream he asked me to get from some partner pharmacy. The ointment cream is like those chinese medicated oil that's pretty common in Singapore, but it burns more and longer.

The experience was pretty interesting and I don't regret it. It was the culmination of a lot of hope.

My calf still hurts when I try to jog or jump, but I'm currently taking it easy. I suspect a calf strain or tear, but from what I read here it's pretty common. There is still an occasional click sometimes when I walk for long distances, but my fingers are crossed and I'm hoping with all my hope that I can get back to sprinting.

Just wanted to share my experience. If you're trying to get an appointment with him I highly suggest faxing him as well, he actually replied once to my fax to confirm the appointment.

Any tips on how to mitigate the calf pain other than calf pumps would really be appreciated!

This is interesting.You went for the therapy about a year after the injury right ?But the therapist still said that the ligament had a chance of regrowing. This is one of the questions that I have about the ACL stump and its ability to heal after a year or so.

Did you go for a follow up MRIIt would be great if you could give us an update on your knee and ACLI've read some articles about Khalifa therapy which stated that the therapy restores the knee to normal function. I always assumed that this would be normal stability but without the ACL......

Did you go to Mohammed Khalifa himself or one of the therapists that he trained ?

Unfortunately, it didn't heal. Went for a MRI in July this year, apparently the ligament is at the back of my thigh, which according to the doctor is pretty common. It grew but didn't connect to the stump I Guess. I went to khalifa himself. I still haven't gone for surgery, day to day activities are no issue. I've gone back to playing Soccer, but I definitely don't run as much as I did before, and I don't dare to sprint anymore cause there's a funny feeling. Basically self preservation mode, haven't twisted my knee ever. The feet pain and calf pain have gone away thankfully, the calf part was really hurting 8 months ago, thought it would never go away.

Still holding out for something other than a reconstruction and a miracle. Read some medical article recently that said a study with several participants showed that the acl healed itself after 2 years, though a few of them went on to retear it again.

As for whether or not khalifa can help, I really don't know. I tried and it failed, but I don't feel like I got cheated. I really did feel a warmth inside my knee a few days after the therapy which I have not felt since...